When Time Stands Still
by steepedinshadows419
Summary: 4x23 - Canon Divergent - Barry doesn't find Ralph in Devoe's mindscape, but he still finds good Devoe with a bullet through his chest. With no cards left to play, he returns to Iris and the team, says his apologies and goodbyes and hurls straight ahead into the Enlightenment. Barry/Iris. Wally/Jesse. Multi-Chap.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I got inspired for this as soon as 4x22 ended. The opening scenes of 4x23 had some good ideas though, so I'm keeping that as is short of Barry finding Ralph in Devoe's mindscape. I'm reeeally excited for this fic and hope to have it wrapped up by the time the show returns. Enjoy!

(Side note: rating will prob eventually become Mature, but atm it remains T.)

 ***** Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing. :)

 ***** I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

 **Prologue -**

Barry knew the exact moment he wasn't going to be able to stop the Enlightenment from happening.

He stood in Devoe's mindscape staring at the good version of Clifford Devoe, the professor, the one who was capable of honorable intentions. But that man was gone.

"Barry? Barry, can you hear me?" Iris asked over the com.

"Yeah. Yeah, Iris, I hear you." His tone was deflated, resigned.

As always, she picked up on it. "What's wrong?"

"Good Devoe, I found him." He paused for what felt like an eternity. "He's dead."

There was nothing but silence on the other end. Here in Devoe's mindscape, Barry had seen no one but the evil version of Devoe. The place was eerie with only echoes of the promising life the evil mastermind had once had. His insides were screaming to find something – anything – to fix this, to stop the Enlightenment before it was too late.

When Devoe had enacted the Enlightenment, locking him out of the time vault, he'd been at a loss. There hadn't been a single idea left in his mind or anyone else's as to what he was supposed to do. Then Iris had showed up with Marlize and presented them with one last solution.

Find Good Devoe in his mindscape and have him defeat The Thinker that had overtaken him.

Well, he'd found him. Lifeless with a bullet wound through his chest.

Their last option had been expended.

"Iris…"

Silence still lingered, but he knew she'd heard him. Equally heartbroken and devastated, not just on her own behalf but everybody else's as well, she answered his summons.

"Come on out, Barry."

He ran until he saw a portal opening up and slid straight into STAR Labs, everyone watching him as if he were a ghost. He knew they were disappointed, but no one said a word to him. They knew he'd tried his hardest. They'd tried theirs too, been with him every step of the way.

They'd tried everything, but Devoe had been one step ahead every time. There was no stopping him from wiping their brains now. The countdown was rapidly approaching. Soon all their memories of everyone they knew would disappear. They would be taught that love was a disease and only the knowledge Devoe could give was true. That alone would supposedly assure peace instead of violence.

The underlining good intention Devoe so insisted existed there was impossible to see amongst all the dark toxicity of what would have to be sacrificed in exchange for it.

Barry felt the pain arcing through him. He felt the same helplessness as months ago, when he was so sure he couldn't reverse the nuke from exploding. Iris had given him the solution then, but even she had nothing left to offer up. Her puzzle piece had been nearly perfect, but it had failed.

Devoe had won.

Barry sped outside, found his villain on the street and cursed at him.

"You don't have to do this, Devoe. It's not the way."

Clifford was unthwarted.

"Say goodbye to your loved ones, Mr. Allen. While you still have time."

Barry turned around and saw Iris coming towards him with tears in her eyes.

"Iris, I-"

"I know," she assured. "Me too."

"You didn't-"

"We all tried, Barry, and now…now we have to say goodbye." Her voice cracked.

"Iris, no."

"We've tried everything, Barry!" she said urgently, desperate for him to take advantage of the few moments they have left. "Just…just come inside and…" Her voice lowered. "We don't have much time."

Reluctantly, and with a heavy heart, Barry returned to a nearly empty cortex. Infant cries could be heard not far away, and he knew what had happened. Tears stung his eyes, wondering what would become of Joe and Cecile's baby if in mere minutes they were brainwashed to the point of not knowing how to care for a child. Devoe would have no mercy. He wouldn't care if a newborn lived or died in this world he was so proud to have created.

He shared a look with Iris and interwove their fingers, walking together into the room where everyone surrounded Joe and Cecile. They looked up at Barry and Iris when they came in, forcing a smile at the last moment of joy they all would share.

"Guys, I'm so-" he tried, but Joe interrupted.

"Meet our daughter, Barry." He glanced down, his eyes full of love for the baby girl.

"Jenna Marie," Cecile said softly, not tearing her eyes away either.

Barry swallowed hard. "She's beautiful, Joe."

He looked towards Cisco and Caitlin. He thought of Harry sitting alone in Cisco's workshop with hardly a coherent thought passing through his mind. Everyone would soon become that. The agony of that knowledge was nearly unbearable.

"Cisco, I-"

His friend stopped him, coming to hug him tightly. Caitlin followed suit. He didn't know what either of them were thinking or feeling, but the message in their eyes was clear as day.

 _It's not your fault._

Joe would not be separated from Cecile and baby Jenna. He gave Barry a knowing look that said more than words ever could.

 _I'm proud of you._

He debated going to see Harry, but just the sight of him would destroy what remained of his ability to stay calm. So instead he turned to Iris, who held out her hand to him. He took it and went with her to the next room.

"H-how much time do you think we have?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling.

He tucked several of her dark locks behind her ears and cradled her face in his hands.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "Five minutes. Maybe more." He lowered his voice. "Maybe less."

She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"I failed you," he said.

Her head snapped up. "No, Barry-"

"I did. I failed everyone."

"Barry, you-"

"But as soon as the Enlightenment hits us, that won't matter. Nothing will matter because we won't remember it. But what matters right now, here and now, is you. Us."

He stepped closer, held her tighter.

"I love you, Iris."

"I love you, too," she said urgently, holding tightly to his arms encircling her. "So much. More than anything."

Their shallow breaths the only sound around them, Barry knew he could say so much more. He could tell her all the reasons he loved her. He could recall memories that felt so distant now. He could tell her hopes he'd had that were impossible now, but that would break their hearts even more.

In this moment, words fell short.

Instead he met her eyes, drinking them in, willing her to see how deep his love for her ran as she looked up into his. She seemed to understand. The subtle nod and gentle smile satisfied him.

He lowered his head and kissed her – first soft, then ravaging, passionate, intense. Iris rose up on her tiptoes for better access, intertwining her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. They came up for air once before resuming. They knew time was dwindling. Only seconds remained.

A loud hum could be heard above them, descending on everyone in the whole earth. The walls around them started to vibrate. Items on tabletops fell to the floor.

The Flash and his lightning rod ignored the reality shattering around them. In the other room, the only sound that could be heard was the soft cries of Jenna Marie, quickly becoming piercing as everything shifted, changed, slowly and then suddenly all at once.

Another breath, another kiss…

" _Iris_ -"

And then it stopped.

The humming stilled, the vibrations ceased. Any remaining items left on desks remained there, not succumbing to gravity's forces. Car alarms still sounded from out in the street. Any moving vehicles crashed, causing instant death to millions. But no emergency vehicles came. There was no panic in the street.

A satisfied smile on his face, Devoe strolled casually into STAR Labs to see what had become of his most entertaining pawns.

He spotted Barry and Iris first, blank looks on their faces, no longer holding each other in a passionate embrace.

"And so, it begins."


	2. Chapter 1

***** Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

 ***** I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 -**

The sound started off as a soft moan, then a gentle gurgling. Small arms and legs started to wriggle. Then as the need for attention, human touch, food, and a diaper change began to trigger, the six-month old parted her tiny lips and began to cry.

No one was in the room to attend to her, but .2 seconds later a whoosh brought a familiar face into her view. It didn't silence her completely, but her chubby arms raised up, her hands opening and closing to bring him near. He smiled softly, gently lifted her out of the makeshift cradle, and started to rock her in his arms.

"Hey, baby girl," he cooed, swooning as he tended to whenever he looked down into the infant's eyes.

A wave of love washed through him, but also one of urgency, and he knew he couldn't stay put for long.

"Hey, Wally!" Sara's voice sounded over the com. "We need you."

He sighed, slowly lowering the child in his arms back into her cradle.

"I gotta go for a minute, but – " She started to wail. "Just for a minute, just-"

She screamed louder.

"Wally!"

"Okay, okay," he muttered, then changed her at lightning-fast speed and laid her back down.

She was content for only a moment before she started to cry again. He sped out of the room to the kitchen to retrieve her bottle, right past the team despite their calling out to him again.

"Be back in a sec!" he promised, back beside the baby in the blink of an eye.

He turned his attention to the crying child and lifted her up into his arms, butting the nipple of the bottle to her mouth. She latched on instantly, suckling greedily.

"Hey, hey, slow down there," he chuckled. "Plenty of that to go around."

Behind him heavy footsteps sounded and then came to a stop.

"Hey, Kid."

Wally spun around, briefly startling the baby in his arms, but to his great relief she recovered quickly and continued drinking her milk.

"Mick." Wide-eyed, he opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, Zari came to stand beside the glaring mass, accompanied also by Ray and then Nate.

"Coming through," Sara said from behind, pushing them all to the side.

Wally watched them all cautiously, though he did not once stop rocking the baby in his arms or pull the bottle away from her.

"Hey…Sara," Wally said, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.

She sighed. "Wally, we need to talk."

He swallowed hard. He had a good idea what they needed to 'talk' about.

"I know." He winced. "I heard you over the com. I'll be right there as soon as I'm done here, I promise. Surely those otherworldly demons can wait a few minutes for us to have a meeting."

"It's not about the demons," Zari said from behind her.

His brows furrowed but sweat droplets were forming on his forehead.

"It's not?" he asked.

"Wally-" Sara tried but was interrupted.

"You gotta get rid of the kid," Mick informed him. Wally stilled. "She's slowing us down."

"It's not just that," Zari interjected, rolling her eyes. She took a step forward. "The Waverider isn't the safest place for her."

"Zari's right," Sara said.

Wally looked over to Nate for back-up.

"She's right, man," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I know she's your sister and you feel obligated, but-"

"The probability of a baby developing correctly in this type of environment is approximately-"

"Obligation?" Wally cut Ray off. He looked around to all of them. "It's not about obliga-"

"I know." Sara stepped in his line of sight to get his attention. "I know it's not. She's your sister and you love her, and those who were supposed to take care of her are-"

"Incapable," he spat. "Because they're brainwashed."

The little girl stirred slightly in his arms, a little tense, so he forced himself to relax.

"And what have we done to fix that? What have you done?" Sara asked gently. He looked away. "When you brought her onboard six months ago, you were supposed to put a plan together."

"You guys were supposed to help," he retorted.

"And we want to," she assured. "But we have…Mollus-scale otherworldly demons that we have to take care of every single day. That's no easy feat. Bringing a baby into that alone is one thing, but saving every person on Earth who has been affected from 2018 forward? That's…"

His eyebrows narrowed. "What?"

She shrugged helplessly, then turned around.

"Guys?"

"Is there anyone you know that could be more helpful?" Zari asked.

"Someone smart!" Ray piped up.

"Who isn't lazy," Mick added gruffly.

"We're not la-" Nate tried.

"Do you know anyone?" Sara cut them all off. "Another speedster maybe? On another earth?"

He sunk into himself a little bit.

"I mean, there's…Jay, but…he took my place in the speed force for over two months." He shook his head. "I wouldn't feel right asking him to tackle a problem this big. Not after that."

"Maybe…another speedster then?" she asked, hoping he'd get the hint. "Someone with a whole team at her disposal, who knows you personally?"

His eyes widened when it clicked. Very carefully and slowly he turned around to set his sister back in her crib. Luckily, she didn't begin to cry and nuzzled into the blanket draped over each side instead. Wally knew it wouldn't be good to have something so fragile in his arms when he responded.

" _Jesse_?" he demanded, exasperated.

Sara said nothing. Neither did anyone else.

"I…I can't believe-"

"You're a great addition to our team," Sara said. "And I know the break-up was painful, but…"

Wally raised his eyebrows, waiting.

"It's been a year, man," Nate added in.

"I'm sure she wasn't _trying_ to hurt you," Ray said.

"Wasn't her dad on our Earth too?" Mick asked, firmly silencing all the positivity in the room. "Man, she's gonna be pissed you just left them there."

Wally fumed, trying to get his emotions under control.

"All we're saying," Sara interceded once again. "Is that, unless something has changed, all Jesse has to do is deal with everyday criminals on her earth. The Big Bad there is gone, right?"

Grudgingly, Wally nodded.

"So, it's minor crime and she has a whole team, right?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

"So, push past the awkwardness and see if she can help."

"If her dad's involved, it won't matter if she's mad at you," Zari said. "She will want to save him. And didn't Barry save their whole earth?" Wally said nothing. "She'll more than want to pay that back."

He looked away and then looked back at all of them.

"You really want me to go then?"

"We don't want you to go," Sara said. "We want you to save your family." She paused. "Maybe we're not the ones to help you do that."

Reluctantly – very reluctantly – Wally nodded, not saying a word.

Sara turned around, ushering the rest of them out with her.

"Gideon!" she called out.

"Yes, Captain Lance?"

"Set coordinates for Central City, 2018."

"Right away, Captain."

With everyone gone, Wally turned back to this sister who was gurgling split bubbles as she lay staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling. Smoothly he picked her up, snatching up a towel to put over his shoulder, and placed her against it. He gently patted her back and slowly paced the area around the crib, waiting for the telltale sound of a burp or two.

He did not want to see Jesse again, no matter how much time had passed. He wanted to put her in a neat little box in his past and keep her there. But he couldn't deny what the Legends were saying. Nothing had been done to fix the problem on their earth, and nothing could be done when they were so focused on stopping these demons they'd unleashed by letting out Mollus.

If he wanted to save his family, he had to find someone else to help him do it, someone with a little more free time on their hands and a personal investment in the cause. He might not be the investment for Jesse anymore, but her father definitely was. She would do anything to save him.

As soon as she finished yelling at Wally for not telling her sooner.

…

Six months earlier…

Being on a time travel ship at all times had its advantages. For instance, someone could travel back to Biblical times to pick up a gift for their soon-to-be sister in time for the baby shower that they unfortunately couldn't attend. Wally had been hoping to avoid much conversation that time, because honestly he wasn't ready to inform the team that he'd joined the Legends because he didn't feel like he belonged with the family he'd grown to love over the past two years anymore. His dad had been there when he dropped the gift off, though, and insisted on some small talk.

"Wally!" A look of shock on his face that quickly subsided as he pulled him in for a hug. When they parted, there was a beaming smile on his face, and Wally felt a little bit guilty. "Where have you been?"

"A lot of places," he said assuredly, then thrust the gift into his arms. "It's for Cecile. For the baby."

"For your sister," Joe corrected, a look of concern hinted in his fatherly gaze. Wally didn't respond. "You know, we miss you around here, Wally."

"I-I know."

He didn't, but he knew he couldn't say that without inviting further unwanted conversation.

Truthfully, he couldn't even imagine why they would miss him or how he could possibly be of use, since he hadn't felt like he was at all the last time he'd been there. He even skipped out on Christmas because being forced to stay in Central City instead of helping the other heroes on Earth X had felt like such a blow.

"Will you come home soon? At least for a visit?"

Wally's mouth opened, but no words emerged.

"You promised you wouldn't be a stranger," Joe added, his voice turning stern.

Wally swallowed hard. "Soon," he said.

"Cecile's due date is May 23rd. How about for the baby shower?"

Wally's lips thinned, not wanting to make any promises he couldn't be.

"I'll try," he said.

His dad's face told him loud and clear that he was far from satisfied, but thankfully he didn't push anymore.

Joe glanced down at the wrapped gift in his arms.

"What's inside?" he asked.

Wally grinned, the weight lifting off his shoulders.

"You'll see," he said.

Joe raised his eyebrows. "Anything I should worry about?"

Wally only smiled and said, "There's a card inside that will tell you everything you need to know."

And then he'd sped away at lightning speed, proud of the bewildered look he'd managed to place on his father's face.

But now…now he was back.

He could have left and come back right away. He could've stayed away for months – years – and simply returned to May 23rd, 2018 when he felt ready enough to face the family he'd left behind.

But as the days ticked away, as he grew closer with his new family on the Waverider, he knew there would be no way to truly move forward until he dealt with that chip on his shoulder he'd been ignoring since before Barry became his brother-in-law. He needed to come home. Maybe not for long, but at least for the welcoming party soon after the baby's arrival. He owed his family that much. And he wouldn't abandon his innocent baby sister from the beginning just because of some unresolved feelings he had with the rest of them.

So when Mollus was defeated by the oversized Beebo toy and Wally had sunk into a deep relaxation on a beach in the aftermath, only to be taken by surprise due to Constantine and Gary's arrival with yet more dreaded news – another problem they had caused that needed to be fixed apparently – Wally decided there was no better time than to make a pitstop home before things got really messy. Sara agreed with him, and the crew of miscreants silenced Constantine and his warnings for as long as Wally needed to visit his new baby sister. The guy wasn't pleased, but there was no budging for the team. One day not addressing the next imminent danger wasn't going to prevent them from saving the world in the long run.

And so they went back to Central City. A day later than he'd wanted to – May 24th instead – but he told himself Cecile would need some time to rest. They wouldn't have the party immediately following the delivery. He was probably still safe.

Despite Sara's urging for him to stay as long as he needed to, Wally assured her he wouldn't be gone more than a day, so they didn't need to take off. Constantine was swearing under his breath on the other side of the room during the conversation, but they made him no heed.

"Let us know if anything changes," Sara says.

Wally said that he would, but he knew he wouldn't be staying longer. He couldn't imagine what anyone could tell him to make him stay longer if he made an appearance for the post-baby shower. He'd already practiced a speech and felt at peace enough to enjoy his time back without feeling he was lying to everyone's faces or being forced into Barry's shadow yet again. He was ready to be back with his Flash family, if only for a day.

The Waverider had to land pretty far off since landing strips were few and far between. It didn't matter because Wally was a speedster. In literally seconds, he was in Central City and on his way to his dad's house.

But it took him longer than a few more seconds to make it there, because the smell of smoke and car alarms going off and crying in the streets stopped him dead in his tracks. He looked around and saw people standing numbly or bleeding on the ground. He saw downed power lines and every sign of electricity completely vanished. There were no emergency vehicles or police cars nearby, and no sound of them either, but most importantly there was no Flash or Vibe or Killer Frost or the less-than-adequate new addition to the team and his clear replacement, Ralph Dibny.

Wally walked over to a few people nearby. He asked them what happened, if they were okay, but they only stared at him with confused looks. Tears streamed down their cheeks. Their mouth opened but nothing came out. He was bewildered as hell and took one injured man into his arms and raced him to the nearest hospital.

There was no panic. No one inside was moving. They were standing still or on the ground. They weren't speaking. And despite it being a nice warm, sunny day outside, it was darkness inside the building.

He sped the man to an empty room, grateful that there were no severe wounds and just some painful looking cuts. He didn't know the first thing about stitches or anesthetics, but Neosporin and bandages he could do. Luckily the man had his wallet in his pocket with his ID. Wally grabbed the necessary ingredients, phased him through the door of his home and quickly patched him up. Then he walked to the window of the high-rise and gazed out to look at the city. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, more people in the same situation. He was sure several were in a worse state than he was in. He didn't want to think that everyone in Central City was practically catatonic, but it was dangerous to feel too hopeful when the circumstances were as dire as the one he was standing in the midst of right now.

Wally looked over his shoulder at the man lying on his couch. He didn't know how long the city had been in this predicament, but he quickly a found a glass and filled it with water. He brought it to the man's lips, since he seemed helpless. There was some resistance at first, almost like he was trying to feed a baby something they'd never tried before, but eventually and then eagerly the man took to the drink, grabbing a hold of the glass and finishing it. He held it out towards Wally, clearly wanting more. Wally refilled the glass three more times before the man was satisfied.

His mind was spinning. He took the man to his bedroom and laid him down with a full glass of water on the bedside table and hoped that would be enough for now.

He had to find team Flash. He had to find his baby sister. If all the adults were in this state, who was taking care of her?

STAR Labs was just as dark as every other building when he got there. Unsurprisingly, the elevators didn't work. He sped up the stairs into the cortex, and there he found everyone standing in the dark, unmoving. There wasn't a single sound except for the crying of a baby.

His heart leapt into his throat as he followed the noise and found her on the verge of slipping out of her mother's arms – her mother who stared dumbly at nothing, same as everyone else. It chilled him to the bone.

Wally moved forward and gathered up the baby into his arms, trying to soothe her. His gentle rocking and cooing eventually calmed her, and she nuzzled into his chest. Under different circumstances he would've relished the moment. But what he'd walked into was scary in its intensity to the point that he didn't want to stay there another minute.

 _You can't leave them!_ His mind screamed at him.

But what could he do? Take them all on the Waverider? He couldn't take the whole city with him. Whatever was happening, he couldn't fix right now in this moment.

Except for one thing. He could take his baby sister with him until he figured something out. The legends could help him. He wouldn't leave his family behind for long.

Footsteps sounded down the hall, and his eyes widened. He didn't know who it could be, but he suspected he didn't want to know the answer.

His heart felt heavy, but fight-or-flight mode was kicking in.

 _I'm sorry._ He looked at his dad. _I'm so sorry._ He looked at Cecile, then Cisco, then Caitlin. He stopped to look at Iris and Barry, staring emotionless towards but not at each other. He felt a lump form in his throat.

 _Guess I'm needed now._

He blinked away tears, trying to ignore the heavy weight now on his shoulders, and raced out of STAR Labs before the nearing footsteps reached him. Luckily, he was never intercepted.

Before any of the legends could question him, he went straight to the console on the Waverider.

"Gideon, what happened in Central City yesterday?"

"The Enlightenment."

"The what?" Sara asked, coming forward to stand where Wally was, along with everyone else.

"Clifford Devoe has enacted the Enlightenment."

"What does that mean?" Mick barked.

"Everyone's mind has been wiped," she said far too pleasantly. "All electricity has been destroyed as well," she said solemnly.

"How do we fix it?" Wally asked, ignoring the looks of everyone at his use of the word 'we'.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Mr. West."

His heart sunk deep into his chest.

"Perhaps there is a solution your team can uncover."

Wally turned to look at Sara.

"O-Of course," she said.

"What," sounded Rory.

"But Sara, this is-" Zari tried.

"Get us back into the timestream, Gideon," Sara interrupted.

"Right away, Captain Lance," Gideon said, cheerful again.

"Thank you, Sara. It means a lot that you would-"

"Who's the baby?"

Wally blinked and looked down at the sleeping child in his arms.

"Oh."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow.

He sighed and nodded.

"She's my baby sister," he said, looking up at Sara sorrowfully. "Born on the eve of the Enlightenment with nobody to care for her."

Sara held back a sigh as she continued to ignore the others around her.

"She can stay. For now."

"And you'll help me figure this out?" he asked hopefully.

"We all will," she said, her voice increasing as she proceeded to shoot everyone else who dared to question her a glare. "Won't we, guys?"

"We don't have time for thi-" Constantine tried.

"Right?" she repeated pointedly.

Everyone but the blonde brit made some sort of response in agreement, but he muttered under his breath and walked away.

"Bloody Hell."

The Waverider lifted into the sky away from Central City and the Enlightenment with every intention of figuring out a solution in the imminent future.

…

Wally took a breath as he stepped through the portal to Earth 2 six months later. His baby sister was content in his arms. He wished he could be in such a state of peace.

He knew the Legends were right, and that this was the right call. They hadn't gotten anywhere, and while he hadn't seen much of Earth 1 when he'd been dropped off again, it didn't look like much of an improvement. There wasn't violence or crying in the streets, and there was electricity again. But the menacing image of Clifford Devoe plastered to every building in the city barking orders as people mutely walked about was just as terrifying. He didn't seek out his friends and family this time, but they weren't in STAR Labs. He needed to get to safety to figure out a plan that would work. Getting caught by the new Hitler on Earth 1 would do him no good. The whole earth would be doomed if that happened.

So, he walked through the portal and into Earth 2.

It had been over a year since he'd been here. Only good memories lived here for him. But now things were different. Now he needed help, and now Jesse wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't know how this was going to go, but he knew he needed to put the fate of his earth at the forefront of his mind, not how he was going to deal with feelings he knew he still hadn't dealt with fully with his ex.

Still, he could use the time to think without anybody he knew in his direct vicinity.

He walked at a regular pace to Jesse's house. A lump formed in his throat when he reached the cement steps leading to her home. He took a breath and resolutely walked up them. He lifted his hand to knock on the door and then opted to ring the doorbell instead. His six-month old sister opened her eyes, and he winced, wishing he'd had more foresight. But luckily, she closed her eyes moment later and nothing but a small moan and brief wriggling of her fingers and toes followed.

He relaxed and looked back at the door. He couldn't decide if he'd be more or less relieved if she turned out not to be home – or if she just plain didn't answer. He didn't know where he'd go if she didn't respond. She was the only person he knew here.

Luckily – or not – the door opened before he could start to berate himself too hard for not having a back-up plan.

Jesse blinked when she saw him, taking him in with less shock than the last time when he'd shown up without warning after receiving her malfunctioning break-up cube and the half-assed explanation from her father – _who likely was among the citizens of Central City when the Enlightenment hit_ , he reminded himself. Jesse wouldn't like that, especially that he hadn't told her sooner. Or that someone hadn't at least.

"Wally," she said, breaking through his wild, stress-inducing thoughts.

He took a breath and jumped in with both feet.

"Hi, Jesse."

She glanced down at the baby in his arms, then up at him, then folded her arms and leaned against the door frame.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He didn't know what to make of the hint of ice in her voice. He'd worry about that later.

"I need your help."

She raised her eyebrows, amused, waiting.

It dawned on him that she might not be heartless like the hallucination had been and was instead assuming he'd knocked some girl up who had then ditched him and the baby.

"It's about your dad."

Her expression abruptly shifted. She pushed off the door frame and straightened.

"What about him?" she asked worriedly.

"It's not just him," he said. "But he's been affected. Every-Everyone's been affected, and Jesse…"

He took a breath, then looked her earnestly in the eye in the way he knew used to make her melt. It didn't have quite that effect this time, but at least now he knew he had her attention.

"You're the only one that can help me stop it."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I love this chap! I hope you do too. :)

 ***** Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

 ***** I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 -**

Light streamed through the windows, warming his face in lines due to the half-closed blinds. He knew it would be time to get up soon, and that if he didn't do it in the next five minutes, first an alarm would go off, then a pounding on his door, and then a barking by whatever individual was assigned for that day – or week – to awake all the citizens in the building.

He sighed and forced his eyes open, blinking away the sleeping dust that clung to his eyelids. He pulled back the thin cotton blanket that had half-fallen off in his sleep and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pressing the red button on his bedside table that alerted security that he was awake.

He counted to five slowly, then pushed himself to his feet and padded across the all-white room to the all-white wardrobe that held all white garments inside – one for each day of the week. White pants, white socks, white shoes, white t-shirts, both short-sleeved and long, and a thicker stiffer white jacket meant to be worn for when dealing with chemicals. The blast of white would've been overwhelming if it hadn't been the only sight he'd seen as far as back as he could remember. When he was in this room, sometimes he forgot what other colors could exist. He saw brown hair and hazel eyes in the mirror, but the blinds were sealed behind glass, and they couldn't be opened more than they were. The light could be adjusted in the room, but usually it was done automatically, without his aid.

It had taken a while to learn the simplest things, though he was told often how quick of a learner he was. His mind only took him back three months, but apparently he'd been in this place for six. He wondered if that's when he had been born. He couldn't remember a mother or father or siblings or friends. Had he always been this old? Had he always been alone?

But he wasn't alone. There were millions of other people outside these walls. And Clifford Devoe was his creator. He made sure he was fed, educated, clothed, given a place to sleep and a place to work every single day. He owed his life to the man who alternated between brutality and kindness as easily as he breathed.

Still, he couldn't complain. He hadn't been made an example of yet. That meant he was still alive.

He was dawdling, reluctant to start another monotonous day of classes and work. His position was janitorial. Luckily, he wasn't the only janitor in the city, but he was responsible for cleaning one nine-story building in the heart of downtown Central City. He was given nine hours to accomplish it every day. It wasn't thrilling, but all the windows in that building were clear glass with nothing blocking their vision – no blinds or drapes or anything concealing the inside of every room to the brilliance of the city.

He longed one day to go beyond the inner city to the water front he could faintly see in the distance when he reached the higher levels, but exploring any place beyond living quarters, work place, and the educational facility were only for those who finished their work for the day. He'd yet to meet anyone who had.

He heard someone coming down the hall and knew he'd taken too long. Quickly, he finished changing his clothes, moved into the tiny bathroom to brush his hair, teeth, and apply deodorant. He slipped on his shoes that were only slightly scuffed on the bottom. When the door opened barely a minute later, he was ready to go.

"Mr. Allen."

Barry nodded once.

"I'm ready."

The man, large and strong, gestured toward the hall and then began to walk. Barry quickly followed.

Three flights down in a bright white stairwell took Barry to the first level where many other people dressed in identical white garb were waiting. The man made an announcement to follow and together all thirty of them were led outside.

Barry wanted to stop, breathe in the fresh air, relish the warm sun hitting his face fully, take a walk maybe just to see the city streets, to experience them.

But there was no time for that. He knew better than to try it again. Instead he followed the others to the white bus waiting in front of the building. They all climbed inside, walking past the man in similar white garb sitting in the driver's seat. Once everyone was counted, the man from the building took a seat in the very first row, and the bus began to move.

Barry counted the seconds, 587 of them, until the vehicle came to a stop. He peered out the window as he waited for the people in the rows in front of him to get up and go to the front of the aisle. He saw the tall white building. All the windows except for the ones at the very top were painted over, so white they looked like walls from the inside.

"Mr. Allen."

The burly voice snapped him out of his fascination, his curiosity. Once he realized he was the only one left on the bus, he quickly got to his feet and walked to where the man was glaring at him with piercing green eyes.

He almost apologized, opened his mouth to do so, but then thought better of it. He would stutter, just as he had the last time, and that would land him in a dark room for hours and no breakfast.

There was nothing he hated more than complete darkness.

Outside on the pavement, he got in the back of the single-file line and entered the building, in step with the others – left, right, left sounding off in his head as it did every morning. He didn't know why those words were so ingrained into his mind, but given that they were in his creator's voice, he suspected they were part of his early lessons he couldn't remember. He didn't question it, but he was curious.

Bright white enveloped him again as they entered the building. People were milling about, on to one task or the other. Not everyone could fit into the cafeteria for breakfast, but this was the time slot allowed for the first three floors of his building. He followed the others as they got in line, not looking forward to the tasteless food awarded him for getting up this early and not being allowed to take in the sun outside.

But he was looking forward to one thing. It made this detestable meal worth it every morning. Everyone else mutely accepted food from the servers behind the counter, but when he reached the woman who promptly dumped applesauce in a small bowl on everyone's trays, Barry Allen couldn't help but smile. He couldn't remember smiling at anyone but her. It was an odd sensation that he couldn't describe. He couldn't remember being taught what it meant in any class he'd taken, by any lesson Mr. Devoe had given him. But when he smiled at her, he felt a warm sensation bursting in his chest. When he got her to smile back, even a little, he felt as if his feet were leaving the floor and floating in the air.

It was no different today.

Nearly skipping, he made his way down to her, and when she made to dump a large spoonful of applesauce into the bowl positioned on his plate, he spoke up.

"Two helpings, please."

She paused, nearly sending the applesauce in her spoon to fall onto the counter before he quickly moved his bowl to catch it.

"Got it," he said easily, proud of his accomplishment.

"U-um," she stuttered. He was slightly proud of that too.

"I didn't take any of the oatmeal."

She looked over at his tray. "Or the carrots." Her eyes widened, then she looked up at him. "Or anything else."

Her look of concern warmed him, almost as much as the sun.

"I'll take a big glass of milk. Don't worry about me."

She shook her head but wordlessly agreed, giving him a second helping of the applesauce so his bowl nearly overflowed. The person behind him cleared their throat loudly, and he knew he needed to speed this up.

He leaned over the counter a little, easy to do because of his height, and lowered his voice.

"You look beautiful today, Iris," he said, glancing down at her nametag even though he didn't need to.

She met his eyes, shock reverberating through her. He didn't blame her. A beat later, he was shocked himself. He'd meant to compliment her, but the word beautiful… He couldn't remember ever learning it.

"T-Thank you," she managed, and he saw that his compliment had landed, even if she was equally confused by it.

"H-Hey!" The person behind him growled. "The rest of us need food too!"

Barry nearly jumped out of his skin, but he finally took some steps forward, though not looking away from the woman behind the counter until he could no longer see her while staying in line.

Just before he was forced to look away, he saw it, and triumph arced through him.

She smiled.

…

On the couch across the room, her short nails digging into her jeans, Jesse tried to remain calm. Of all the things she had expected to happen today, her ex-boyfriend showing up on her doorstep to tell her all the people on Earth 1 – including her father – had been brainwashed for the past six months, and he was only telling her now because these people called the 'Legends' had convinced him to, was the last thing she would have thought of. In fact, she would have never imagined this scenario in a million years.

Wally was pacing in front of her, trying to remember every detail. The child he'd brought with him was his baby sister apparently. She supposed she'd have to take his word on that. She did vaguely remember her dad mentioning a pregnant Cecile that he'd made a device for due to her mind-reading capabilities. It was likely this was the same woman who had given birth to the child now in Wally's possession. Still, it was a lot to take in.

"Wally, sit down," she finally said.

He sat in the chair nearest him, which thankfully wasn't right next to her. She didn't know how she felt about him at the moment, but she knew she needed space. She needed to think. Especially if she was going to tuck her feelings away to come up with a solution.

"So, just to recap-"

"Mhmm."

"This Devoe guy brainwashed everyone on Earth 1 with some intricate technology, and you left everyone besides your baby sister behind when you found them all that way six months ago."

His lips parted.

She met his eyes, holding tight to the anger inside her and directed it to her nails digging into her pants.

"Is that right?"

"Jesse, I-"

She closed her eyes. "Just answer the question, Wally."

He sighed, then nodded. "Yes."

"And you have no idea what's going on there now, if your family is even still…alive."

His exasperated sigh was louder than intended.

"Jesse-"

"Wally." She shot him a warning glance. "Just answer the question."

He pursed his lips. "No," he managed. "I didn't see them before I came here."

She leaned back on the couch and folded her arms across her stomach, unable to look at him.

"Because?" she finally asked.

He got up and stood in front of her.

"Because if I had gotten caught, there would be no hope for them. You wouldn't know. The Legends wouldn't know I'd been caught. Your dad? He'd be lost. For good. And if you ever came for a visit, chances are you would be too."

That started to hit home for her, but she was still irritated. So she stood up and walked past him, careful not to be too close.

"So, what are you expecting from me, Wally? You think I'm so smart, I just have an instant solution to this mess? I'm not…my dad."

His brows furrowed, and he approached her. Only one step because he could see her watching his steps, ready to bolt if she decided he was invading her personal space.

"You're smarter than you think, Jess."

 _Jess_.

The nickname he'd started to call her after the first time he told her he loved her. She'd loved it so much that he kept on saying it. Hearing it now was bittersweet, and in her current state it almost felt like a weapon.

Wally's voice interrupted her thoughts, as did the couple steps he took closer that she eyed warily.

"Maybe you don't have an instant solution, but…I mean, don't you have…a team?"

She blinked and looked up at him. The suggestion completely blindsided her, given how the guys on her team had shot glares at him the last time he was there, making it look like they thought he had broken her heart when it was the other way around. For his part, Wally didn't look particularly pleased to see them either or how close they stood to his recent ex-girlfriend. Jesse made a point to quickly separate them, so she could speak to him alone.

She'd been too afraid to break up with him in person, so she wasn't pleased when he showed up. But the last thing she needed was him thinking she'd developed feelings for someone on her team and _that_ was the reason she was breaking things off. So, she put aside her nerves and spoke to him alone – far from her STAR Labs alone where the guys couldn't overhear her, since she also turned her com off.

But that felt like a lifetime ago.

'You've got to be kidding me' was written across her face even though she didn't speak the words.

She didn't want to say 'those guys hate you' or 'I thought you didn't like them' because he'd never acknowledged how uncomfortable or annoyed he'd been by their sole interaction. But it was hard to ignore, and her guys had no trouble talking trash about Wally when they thought she wasn't listening until she called them out on it. This was a disaster waiting to happen.

"How many of there are you?" he asked, seemingly unaware of how badly she was spazzing inside her head. "Five? Six?"

"Seven," she said.

His eyes widened. "Se- I didn't count that ma-"

She waved that off. "He's a recent add-on."

"He?" he asked, and she wondered if there was just a hint of jealousy in his voice.

She stomped on the brief spurt of satisfaction that gave her. He was acknowledging he didn't really like the guys on her team. So what? It didn't mean he still had feelings for her.

That last thought shook her to the core, and she angrily cursed herself.

 _You broke up with_ _ **him**_ _, remember?_

"He's a kid." She waved him off. "Thirteen, maybe fourteen. An orphaned speedster. I took him in." She took a breath. "I'm training him."

Wally relented, thinking for a few moments before speaking up again.

"So…what do you think? Will they help us?"

You, she thought. But she didn't say that. Her dad was on Earth 1 too. She'd do anything to save him.

"Maybe," she said, contemplating. "I mean, they weren't really fans of my dad, so I don't know if that's a strong selling point… Of course, they're heroes and should want to save innocent lives regardless, but-"

"You could mention that Barry almost single-handedly saved your world from Zoom – and freed you after you'd been kidnapped."

Her eyes lit up at that. Guilt quickly replaced the excitement when she realized after everything that happened, that fact had slipped her mind.

Her lips twitched slightly as she took in Wally holding his breath as he stood there waiting.

"That just might work."


End file.
